Friday, October 26, 2018

RISE OF THE NPC - Could the Over-Digitization of Society Have Caused Such Programmed Behavior in Citizens?

By now, most of us have likely heard about a certain meme that has been popularized in recent news. The NPC meme (NPC being short for Non-Playable Character) has had an enormous and yet unexpected impact in online communities for a number of reasons. One of these reasons may be that the meme is largely potent in its ability to express the general tension within modern Western society.

It may also be that the meme strikes a particularly sensitive chord within certain political circles. Either way, the reaction of the compromised mainstream media—along with Twitter—to attack and censor the meme suggests that those behind both mainstream and social media have much to lose if this meme is allowed to propagate naturally.

It can be surprising to see how such a crudely drawn digital image can have such a strong impact in society. This impact appears to stem from the fact that these memes resonate with many free-thinkers. These individuals view free thought as a vital ability and right which should be actively protected from those who seek to dominate and control others. Then there are some who seem to live life in a largely unconscious state—being physically active in the world, and yet having little to no intellectual interest in anything that happens around them.

These detached individuals will commonly reject opportunities to think freely and may even consider the act of free thought to be a threat to their sense of normalcy. Yet it may be even more threatening to these individuals to face the possibility that their intellectual detachment and habitual absentminded conformity may be a sign of a much greater problem.

Not only do these individuals appear to repeat exactly what they are told by MSM, but in most cases, they don't even realize that they are doing so. These people sincerely believe that they are speaking from their own minds. However, when we compare their words to those of the common corporate media narratives, we may see that the two dialogues are perfect replicas of one another. Upon observation, we can see that these people are merely regurgitating common MSM talking points with little to no sign of independent cognition.

Additionally, there appears to be an inability of certain individuals to observe and acknowledge simple patterns in society—even patterns which have been commonly acknowledged in past years. It is as though there is little to no individual power of observation within these people, and when actual simplistic observations are presented to them, they appear to have no ability or interest in acknowledging these patterns.

This inability to realize and to acknowledge simple trends in society, history, and the natural world combined with a complete intellectual dependency upon establishment seems to suggest a lack of self-awareness. It is as though these individuals have either chosen to or have been coerced into giving away a piece of their own consciousness to the establishment for some unknown incentive—perhaps emotional security, or the opportunity to feel as though they belong to something.

On a personal note, it has been very strange to see people I have personally known—many having shown a good amount of psychological independence in the past—beginning to conform and become just as intellectually passive as others have. These friends have actually given into the canned MSM narratives just as those who have never shown any capacity for independent thought. Up until I began seeing this uniform group-think setting in on multiple fronts, I did not believe such blind conformity could propagate so thoroughly. However, the present state of society seems to suggest it very much has.

The Impact

Perhaps one of the main reasons the NPC meme has been so impacting is because it strikes such a strong chord on both fronts. Those who've had experience dealing with people who appear to be on autopilot tend to appreciate the meme the most. For these individuals, this meme states what so many people have been thinking and observing, and yet have been unable to verbalize.

On the other hand, those who feel targeted by the meme often become enraged by it, claiming that it dehumanizes them—echoing corporate media with pinpoint precision. Under normal and healthy circumstances, this proposal of dehumanization might be true. However, the current state of society is far divorced from healthy. In fact, it could be argued that in many ways, this reaction shows that the meme holds some truth to it.

When we consider the psychological principle of denial, we may realize that there is typically no motivation to respond with excessive anger to a statement that is completely false. If we know within ourselves that a statement is false, we simply state the fact, prove our point, and then move on with our day. Though there may be a small amount of emotion involved, for a mature and disciplined adult, such feelings may not persist for very long. On the other hand, if a statement holds any amount of truth to it, and we are prone to resist criticism with defense mechanisms, our reaction tends to be excessively strong and at times, even violent.

If this psychological principle of denial applies to this situation, it would seem that the NPC meme has struck a chord of truth within its greatest resistors.

The above video seems to demonstrate the typical knee-jerk reaction (via the ANTIFA member) which many people will likely have when confronted with the possibility that they are failing to think and reason for themselves. However, we may keep in mind that the stronger the resistance to the proposal, the more truth that proposal may hold in the subconscious mind of the recipient.

Under healthy circumstances, a conscious and intelligent individual might make an effort to control their emotions, analyze and understand the various points the meme makes, and then determine whether or not those points are accurate. They might develop an intellectual argument to counter the meme (granted they can prove it inaccurate) using multiple sources to support their point. (They may also choose to have a sense of humor and refuse to take the meme so seriously.)

They might also include historical instances in which subtle dehumanization was detrimental to the overall moral standards of a society. However, so far, no one has been able to do this. Nor does it seem that any of those to whom the meme might apply have even tried. The only reaction we have seen so far appears to be this.

We will likely see this reaction in numerous places, due to the fact that the corporate media has presented it as the default response/marching orders for all remaining conformists. However, at any moment those who still blindly conform to MSM narratives may realize their own ability to question the narratives they have accepted for so long (granted they are able to have such a realization). Until then, we may expect these reactions to be exactly as the corporate media suggests.

It seems that in modern society, anger is the common reaction to any unfamiliar situation. Even criticism which might otherwise help an individual to improve themselves is met with vitreous hatred by the ultra-sensitive. Ironically, those who are most active in criticizing society—when faced with the possibility of their own need for improvement—cannot handle the criticism. In some ways, this is understandable, as it can sometimes be difficult to admit our own faults. However, when people react so violently to nearly every form of criticism, this can reveal a deeper problem.

"Russian Bot" - A Key Example

This adverse reaction to the NPC meme actually seems to demonstrate the fact that there is some truth behind it.

The ironic claim that this meme "dehumanizes leftists," as stated by New York Times, may reveal a good deal not only about the media itself but about the people who blindly subscribe to it. It is not difficult to remember all of the times the corporate media and many Twitter users have dismissed the perspectives of any comment that deviated from the typical canned MSM narratives.

According to research, there have been nearly countless instances where social media users have been ridiculed, blocked, and censored simply for disagreeing with the corporate media. This has occurred on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and a number of other platforms.

Moreover, in the past, one of the main excuses/insults used by these platforms to censor independent thinkers was that these anti-MSM comments and content were only the result of interference by Russian bots. Despite the fact that the proposition was never proven and that this suggestion was grossly irresponsible and bias, many audience members still repeated the narrative without a second thought.

It didn't matter that this proposal dehumanized a large portion of the American population; the claim was still maintained.

Russian bots: the shamelessly maintained meme of the MSM

These memes seem to demonstrate the common tendency of those behind the MSM to project their own flaws onto others. However, if anyone points out the fact that these flaws exist, it is the whistleblower who is claimed to be in the wrong and never those responsible for the hypocrisy.

The media also ran with this story for weeks and yet never showed any interest in proving a word of it. Yet now that the same narrative is being used against the powers behind the MSM (and those who swear by it), the proposal is "dehumanizing." This is one of the numerous examples of the way in which the novelty establishment wears their own hypocrisy with pride (though in a way, this meme has value in humor as well).

In many ways, this is an educational experience for those who pay attention. Yet at the same time, it is unfortunate to see how many audience members fail to recognize the gross irony of the situation.

It is one thing to be able to see a problem and to acknowledge its existence. However, in any situation, it is important that we understand where this problem came from, to begin with. In order to understand the situation better, let's consider the ways in which many children are raised in modern times.

The Digitization of Youth

By observation, it appears that modern children grow up with more entertainment than any generation before them. Though this alone does not equate to an unhealthy situation, it can easily become a catalyst for one. And unfortunately, in many cases, it does. This over-saturation of entertainment has had a tendency to replace the discipline and guidance which two healthy parents might otherwise provide for their children.

What is even more unfortunate is the fact that the majority of modern entertainment is centered upon materialism, narcissism, self-worship, and in many cases, self and societal destruction. This type of propaganda can be seen in nearly every genre of entertainment from movies to video games, music, and across nearly every other medium.

From a psychological perspective, the collective effect of massive entertainment overload may cause a Pavlovian association between pleasure and unconscious action, and possibly even a detachment from the consequences of the individual's actions. In this way, when entertainment is not complemented by healthy real-world experiences, social interaction, and conversation, this may lead to the detached societal situation we have today. But let's break things down even further.

If an entire generation has been raised primarily by technology, they may eventually begin to see the world as an extension of that technology. Those most heavily affected may even end up viewing every experience they have as secondary to—and even subject to—their own technological experience.

Social Handicaps

We might also consider the fact that for the most part, at the higher levels of business associations, all entertainment comes from only a handful of conglomerated corporations—each being worth several billion dollars. This means that nearly all of the entertainment which consumers frequent is funded by the same handful of super-wealthy elitists. Depending upon who these elitists are, the entertainment their companies produce may either be beneficial to consumers or it may be extremely detrimental to society as a whole.

Considering the increasing societal trends of narcissism, lack of empathy, and an overall self-centered focus, it seems clear that modern entertainment may not be the best influence on young minds.

Many young consumers may be strongly (and yet unknowingly) impressed by the unethical standards which have become normalized in entertainment. Combined with the lack of ethical training which children do not receive from schooling or their parents, plus the experience of instantaneous gratification which technology offers, these influences can eventually create a significant handicap in the social interactions of citizens—especially in developing children and young adults. In this way, younger generations can be socially conditioned, by technology and entertainment, to have unhealthy habits and expectations in life.

Instant Gratification

With technology, results are virtually instantaneous. When the user desires to change any aspect of their technological experience, all they need to do is swipe their finger across a screen, and they can have whatever they want. They can change an app setting, open a new browser tab, switch to a new mp3, and restart their gaming experience without any effort whatsoever.

In the digital world, there is instant gratification, and granted we know the difference between the digital world and the physical world, this situation may be largely benign. When we learn the valuable lesson of balance, technology tends to keep its place as a complement to the physical world. However, if we have grown up with our face buried in the screen of a smartphone or laptop 24/7, we may be conditioned to have unhealthy expectations from our experiences outside the digital reality.

Here in the real world, we do not have instant gratification. Within society, any amount of change requires extensive effort. This change also requires us to respect the free will of others and to exercise teamwork in order to accomplish any goal. This general level of respect and capacity for cooperation is normal within any healthy society. However, it seems that many young adults here in the West never received this lesson.

"Society is My Smartphone."

These individuals have a tendency to interact with the world as they would an iPhone, while at the same time, they respond to the world as though they were an iPhone. Their entire life experience may hold such a strong sense of artificiality that a portion of their consciousness may actually be governed in a way similar to that which a computer or smartphone might. If the brain is as programmable as modern neuroscientists suggest, this seems to be a very strong possibility.

In this way, younger generations may be conditioned to behave like computers and may even begin to expect this computer-like behavior from everyone around them. When they want an aspect of their environment to change, they may expect the change to be immediate. When they desire a new experience, they may feel entitled to that experience. Yet when they do not receive what they want when they want it, in their own minds, there are huge problems in the world.

When these youths do not see the standard computer behavior from others, the experience is extremely upsetting because it shatters the reality they have lived in up to that point. When they see disobedient behavior in others (either disobedience to authority or to the individual making the demands), the behavior does not compute and represents an error in their partially digitized reality. If this is true, it would explain why some younger individuals have such a difficult time interacting with those who do not conform to the standard expectations of society.

Reinforced Programming

For most of us, the education system is a normal part of our upbringing. If so, we have likely received an unimaginable amount of programming in the process. During our schooling, most of us were subjected to overly simplistic, non-stop training of absorption and regurgitation during our most impressionable years.

At the same time, we've been subjected to the secondary (and many times, lifelong) programming of corporate media and mainstream news. During this process, our school conditioning can be further solidified, causing us to maintain this psychological dependency upon authority to tell us what to think. This typically continues up until the moment we realize what is happening.

At that moment of realization, we awaken to our own ability to think critically, to observe for ourselves, and to reject information we find to be unsubstantiated. In this way, the established programming fails. However, for some, the ability to awaken in this way seems to be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

For some, the combined influence of school, corporate media, and smart technology can be too tempting to give up. This leads many people to give in to the pressure to allow technology to think for them.

When we add in the various influences of smartphones, laptops, iWatchs, and other forms of smart technology, we have a highly convenient and yet hazardous situation to deal with. These technologies offer a seemingly endless opportunity for communication, convenience, and social connection, or at least the illusion of these. However, in many ways, these technologies can hinder our capacity for actual communication and human interaction.

These conveniences can make life easier in some ways, and yet at the same time, they have a way of continuing the same simplistic input/output conditioning which we receive from school and corporate media. To add, they commonly separate us from many opportunities for active intellectual discourse with actual human beings.

Handicapped by Design

If certain elitists intended to overload younger generations with technology (or in a word, to hyper-digitize them) and condition these youths with the artificial reality of the digital world, this might explain the current state of society.

This seems to explain why so many younger generations are so bent upon changing others in society, and yet have no interest in improving themselves. It explains why entire social movements appear to be bent upon controlling others as though they have a right to do so. It may also explain why so many people cannot reason or explain their ideological positions from an intelligent viewpoint. In short, these individuals may have been conditioned to expect the world to obey their every command just as an iPhone does.

This would also explain why many people do not seem to think for themselves. All of the actions they take are dictated to them by someone else. Instead of merely using technology, these individuals have become an extension of technology. Yet the power of processing information in an intelligible way does not appear to be part of their program.

If the mind is a muscle, as many great thinkers have quoted, this would mean that those who use it will be mentally stronger than those who do not. Additionally, those who surrender their minds to established programming and who allow technology and authority to think for them their entire lives may find themselves with a mind far weaker than what is required to do much good in the world.

Possible Motives Behind Censorship

If there existed some intention to disassociate human beings from their higher reasoning and to make them completely dependent upon technology to think for them, it would make sense that those doing the programming would want to keep such an intention secret. If the general public were to awaken from this manipulative programming, this would mean the end of the digital control system entirely.

If such a plot does exist, the opportunity for liberation could be a very good thing. However, if there is some plot to make humans subservient through technology, this would mean that those affected by it have a very difficult task ahead of them.

A Case for Awakening

We may know that the process of awakening to greater truths in the world can be exceptionally daunting. However, with proper help, the act is very possible. Even still, we must consider the possibility that for younger generations, the task of awakening may be much more difficult. If there is some plot to digitize the minds of society's youth, there would be a much stronger temptation for these youths to stay asleep and to continue enjoying their sense of control and familiarity with their digital experience.

The ability to control everything about one's experience—whether that experience is real or false—can be very attractive. This means that anyone who chooses to awaken from such a fantasy to the greater truths of the world may—by their own perceptions—have much more to lose from awakening.

The experience might be compared to an addict learning to let go of their coping mechanism in order to live a more healthy and balanced life. In this case, the coping mechanisms are the feeling of control and the opportunity for instant gratification. In order for these individuals to live in the real world and to be healthy and balanced in doing so, they may have to give up this false sense of digital omnipotence.

This overall addiction to control may be the reason why we see so many younger generations acting out with such anger against a society they cannot instantaneously change to their own liking. For the first time, these kids are meeting a world that resists them. They are encountering the free will of others in the real world and may perceive this free will as an obstacle to their own right to control everyone around them.

Naturally, when these people encounter problems in society, they default to the lessons they learned from their technology, but these lessons were only counterproductive. The fact that many of these young people have deactivated their higher minds makes them incapable of actually solving the problems in society which they encounter—leading them to further frustration, anger and greater feelings of resentment.

This may be why we see so many people acting out in violent demonstrations which boast benevolent intentions. Yet when we see the methods by which these proposed intentions are executed, the true motivation of these people—that being the life-long influence of destructive conditioning—reveals itself.

Natural vs. Induced Narcissism

When children are raised with the standards of intellectual dependency, social detachment, irresponsibility, detachment from consequence, self-idealization, and self-ignorance, they may cause significant problems in society while believing they are working toward solutions. Combined with an overall vulnerability to emotional manipulation by the establishment, these individuals can be hazardous to a civilized society in countless ways.

Additionally, the deep-seated resentment among these people may also be the reason why there are so many who are willing to do whatever it takes to gain power over others and to control society by any means necessary. In some cases, these people may believe that they are supposed to be the center of their own universe. They are supposed to be gods in their own right, and if anyone disobeys them, it is that individual who is in the wrong, and not them. This is the case for those who are extremely narcissistic. However, not everyone who has these issues is a narcissist by nature.

Many times, people sincerely want to improve the world. Yet again, without the mental muscles to handle the situation, these people may give in to manipulative media narratives, adopt a self-centered focus, and end up contributing to society's problems right alongside the true narcissists.

It is very unlikely that any societal problem will be solved by those who failed to maintain a basic level of self-awareness. In a society of millions of people who are all trying to change everyone but themselves, nothing changes, and when so many people who claim to want to improve society do so with blatant hypocrisy and double standards, many societal issues may only be exasperated.

It seems that this state of self-ignorance is common in our present society. However, as always, positive change is still possible.

Turning the Tide

We have seen that in a big way, the establishment is extremely reactive and seemingly fearful of the possibility that the excessively digitized individuals will wake up from their technological pacification. As we've seen, platforms such as Twitter made instant moves to remove any suggestion of the potent NPC meme not long after this meme became popular on the site.

We have also seen several attempts by corporate media to produce fake scientific publications which claim that thinking independently (an act for which the corporate media uses the weaponized term, "conspiracy theorist") is a sign of mental illness. Yet by all appearances, these types of articles are little more than projections of the flaws of those making the claims. They actually appear to be superimpositions of the character traits of conformists, and this may reflect the end goal of those behind the corporate media.

These blatant and desperate acts of censorship and smearing may tell us just how powerful free thought can be. How often do multi-billion dollar corporations cower in fear over something as simple as a meme?

Personally, I am a firm believer that those who have been controlled by the establishment can be helped. I do not subscribe to the proposition that all of these people behave as they do simply because they are soulless automatons. It may simply be that they do not know how to live in a world outside of the technology and programming they have come to depend upon. They may be subconsciously resistant to that which could end their digital dream, but again, positive progress is still attainable.

Yet even as we consider this progress, it is important that we keep in mind that just as with any addiction, the longer the people choose to snooze, the ruder their awakening may be.

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